Proposed system to detect child abuse could deter parents from seeking treatment, pressure group says

Re: Proposed system to detect child abuse could deter parents from seeking treatment, pressure group says

“The proposed linkage of data on abused children is based on a belief that some abusive parents manipulate health systems to make it harder for services to recognize patterns of injury. If this is true - and it seems plausible - then those same parents will be motivated to manipulate the new system for similar reasons.”[1]

The first point to establish is - has the child been subject to physical abuse?
The believers of the so-called “triad” –subdural haemorrhage, retinal haemorrhage and encephalopathy - proclaim there is no better proof of physical abuse.

However there is good evidence that hypoinsulinism, an autoimmune response to antigenic stimulation which is demonstrated by hyperglyaemia, is a feature of “tissue scurvy”[2-6].

Tissue Scurvy would explain all the bruises. haemorrhages and fractures seen in these allegedly “abused children” since it affects the functions of the liver, inhibits carboxylation of some coagulation factors and osteocalcin and thus causes the “triad”.

Tissue Scurvy will be a new concept to most of your readers but it debunks the myth of the Shaken Baby Syndrome and should prevent false accusations of child abuse.